Outboard motor support block



April 26, 1960 J. L. CONRAD OUTBOARD MOTOR SUPPORT BLOCK Filed Oct. 8, 1956 FIG. 7

INVENTOR. CONRAD JACK L.

United States Patent '0 OUTBOARD MOTOR SUPPORT BLOCK Jack L. Conrad, Atlanta, Ga., assignor of fifty percent to Patrick F. Henry, Atlanta, Ga.

Application October 8, 1956, Serial No. 614,487

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-351) This invention relates to an outboard motor support block and particularly to a support block of this sort for use on the mounting brackets of an outboard motor to maintain the motor at a safe angle from the rear of the boat during transporting, as when the motor and boat are being pulled on a trailer.

Most present outboard motors are mounted on the rear of the boat by means of a pair of spaced brackets with opposed protruding internal edges and the motor itself is pivotally connected to this bracket by a pivot pin having a tension nu-t thereon. With this present arrangement the pivot nut will not maintain the motor at a safe angle during transportation or storage of the motor and consequently the motor may strikesagainst obstructions in the road'or against the road surface itself. The present invention is an attachment for the mounting bracket already on the motor and is used only when it is desired to pivot the motor at a transportation angle.

Generally described, without respect to scope of invention found in the claims, the present device is a generally rectangular block preferably of cast, lightweight metal with a fiat, front bumper surface against which a portion of the motor rests. The rear of the block is formed with two protruding lugs on each side forming a vertical channel or guide on each side of the block. The distance between the insides of the opposed channels is substantially the same as that on the particular mounting bracket on which the block is mounted so that by canting or angling the block between the inner edges of the opposed bracket members of the motor itself, the block is temporarily inserted on the brackets and slid down to jamming position. Then the motor is permitted to swing against the block and to rest there until the block is re-' moved simply by angling it out of the inner brackets.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a support block for outboard motors which may be readily inserted on the conventional mounting brackets to hold the motor in a desired angled position.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig; l is a pictorial view of the mounting and support block of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a pictorial view of the support block of this invention in place on a conventional outboard motor support.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the block of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation view of the block in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation view of the rear of a boat with the motor supported on the block of this invention.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation view of the motor in Fig. 5 with parts broken away.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation view looking toward the right end, as viewed from the right of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the block 10 of this invention may be cast in aluminum, iron, or other metal or 2,934,303 Patented Apr. 26, 1960 plastic or may be formed from wood. Block 10 is a base member of generally rectangular shape with a Hat top 12, substantially vertical but slightly tapered sides 14, a flat front abutment and motor support surface 16 and a fiat rear surface 18. The block is box-like with an open bottom 20 and has a pair of reinforcing ribs 22 formed from rear to front on the underside. Adjacent the rear edges on both sides of the block 10 are formed substantially identical, opposed attaching grooves 24, 26 formed by a pair of protruding, respective lugs, front lugs 28, 36 on each, opposite side, and rear lugs 32, 34 on each rear side making a pair 28, 32 on one side and a pair 30, 34 on the other side. Lugs 28, 30 and 32, 34 extend beneath the block 10 and protrude from the bottom of the rear 18 and are tapered from top to bottom.

A hole 36 is formed on the top 12 near the back 18 in which is fastened a chain 38 which may be permanently attached to the frame of the outboard motor, if desired, so that the block 10 itself does not become lost or misplaced.

A conventional outboard motor 40 of the sort which this invention will support has as a permanent part there of a clamp mounting bracket 42 consisting of two opposed mounting brackets 44 with the motor 40 pivotally connected thereto by a pivot pin 45 and adjustment nut 46. As is seen in Figs. 2, 5, and 6 the clamp brackets 44 are generally of a U-shape and have side plates 48 bending inwardly at the rear to form inturned inner edges 49 which are substantially the thickness of the grooves 24, 26. The motor itself normally swings on the pivot pin 45 and while in the water can be adjusted in angle by the tension of the nut 46 on the pin 45. However, when out of water the pin 45 and nut 46 cannot exert enough tension to support the motor fixedly in any desired angle against even slight bouncing.

Motor 40 has a covered head 50 in which the engine is located and extends at the bottom with covered drive shaft housing 52 and steering control support 54. If the motor positioned on a trailer out of water were permitted to swing freely, the bottom of housing 52 may strike the ground or against objects on the ground. The block 10 elevates the motor bottom preventing damage and facilitating launching. Clamps 44 are clamped on the transom 58 of a boat. I

In the operation of using the present block 10, the block 10 is inserted on and between the edges 48 of the brackets 44 in such a manner as to place the lugs 28, 32 on one side around a respective edge 49 and with that edge 49 in the groove 24 and likewise the corresponding lugs 30, 34 on the other side around its respective edge 48 with edge 49 in groove 26. This is done, as seen in Fig. 5, by first slanting the block inbetween the edges 49 with enough angle to clear the edges so that the grooves 24, 26 align over the edges 49 thereby giving enough clearance to let the block 10 slide level inbetween and around and onto each of the edges 49. Brackets 44 are closer together enough at the bottom than the top to permit the block 10 to become jammed therein.

When the motor 40 is lowered onto the block it a portion 60 of the steering housing 54 abuts and rests against the front 16 with motor engine head 50 sufficiently angled forwardly about the pivot 45 to elevate the bottom and to place the center of gravity thereof enough forward to prevent shifting in transit. Removal of block 10 is simply the reverse of the insertion explained above and can be performed readily and easily at any time.

The particular embodiment shown is adapted to be cast in one operation from a simple mold with a hollow interior and with slight mold taper. A similar block can be constructed from plastic by molding or a solid block can be made from a block of wood by cutting and routing the various elements. shown and described in detail this particular embodiment, this is not to' be constructed as a limitation on my invention or on the scope thereof nor is it to be construed as being any sort of confining effect on this inventionas various alterations, substitutions, eliminations, variations, changes, and other improvements may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A detachable support block for an outboard motor wherein said motor includes as a part thereof a clamp ing member with opposed spaced plates mounted on the boat and a pivot means between said motor and said clamping member, a substantially rigid block member having a front protruding support surface, a rear attachment portion spaced from said front surface, a first attachment groove formed on one side of said block adjacent said rear attachment portion, a second groove formed on the other side of said block opposite from said first groove and in alignment therewith, said opposed grooves being spaced apart at the inner surfaces thereof substantially the same distance as between and corresponding to said opposed, spaced plates on said clamping member, said grooves being wide enough to engage and receive a respective plate therein, whereby said block is rigidly positionable with said grooves on said plates to extend between said clamping member and said pivotal motor thereby holding said motor against said block at an angle elevating said bottom and placing the center of gravity thereof further forwardly of said pivot for transportation.

2. A detachable support block for an outboard motor wherein said motor includes as a part thereof a clamping member having opposed, plate edges mounted on the Therefore, while I have boat and a pivot means between said motor and said clamping member whereby said motor can be pivoted with respect to the rear of the boat, a block member formed as a base having: a front protruding motor support surface a rear portion rigidly spaced therefrom, and side members rigidly fixed between said front and rear, a pair of lug members fined on each of said side members adjacent the rear portion and said lug members being spaced apart about an attaching groove formed thcrebetweeh, "said grooves being in alignment in their spaced relation on said base, said groove being of a width to engage and accommodate the thickness of the plate edges of said clamping member on which said grooves fit respectively and the distance between said grooves on opposite sides of said base being substantially the same as the distance between the opposed edges of said plate members whereby said grooves can be fitted over a respective plate placing said base member rigidly thereon with the front protruding outwardly therefrom, thereby positioning said base member between said clamping member and said motor so as to limit the pivotal travel of said motor and to maintain the bottom of said motor elevated with the center of gravity balanced for travel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 275,894 Detterer Apr. 17, 1883 550,983 Loebs Dec. 10, 1895 1,252,207 Walker Jan. 1, 1918 2,483,758 Douglas Oct. 4, 1949 2,702,173 Young Feb. 15, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,447 Great Britain of 1913 588,464 Great Britain May 22, 1947 

